When last did you open the yellow pages to find a business? Heck, I can’t remember when last I saw a yellow pages, never mind used it… Now I can hear you say “But, Yasmine, you run an on-line business. Obviously you do everything on-line.” Please excuse me for being forward – but so should you! If you don’t have a website, you are shutting yourself off from potential global opportunities.
Technology allows nearly anyone with a business (even a small local shop) to run a successful company on-line using their company website and other tools. Why do I say so?
3 Compelling Reasons to Have a Website (No Matter How Small Your Business!)
There are literally hundreds of reasons why any business should have a website, but today I’m going to focus on these three aspects, that are so closely related to the lessons I want to teach on this site: starting a business, building a business, finding customers and looking after them. So here goes:
1. People are looking for your website on-line!
That’s right! They are already looking for a business just like yours to buy from, or to get into partnerships with. They are looking for ways to interact with you and provide you with training, tools, investments, joint ventures and more.
But the snag is that you don’t have a website and that’s why they can’t find you. These days, finding an offline business is just not worth the effort for investors and customers, especially when….
2. Your competitors have websites already!
Consider companies just like yours. Do they have websites? “Yeah, but they are much bigger than me.” Exactly!
Having a website exposes you to a much greater, global audience, is it does for your competition. As the saying goes “If you can’t beat them, join them” and I like to add that when you do join them, you may just beat them.
If you don’t have a website, you probably don’t spend much productive time on the internet at all and that is what allows your competitors to find better suppliers for their products and a global audience for their sales.
Working on-line literally opens up the world to you.
3. A website allows you to offer 24/7 customer service
Let’s face it – who wants to phone a company with questions when it’s so much quicker and easier to find the answers on-line?
While a website can provide your potential clients with all the information they need to make a buying decision.
4. A website can be your spokesperson
You can also use your website to create a smoother workflow. Instead of having to repeat the same information over and over, you can refer people to your website – day or night.
A professionally designed, well-written website can create an impactful first-impression of your business to people you have never met before. It takes seconds for someone to access your website on their mobile device and to form an impression (or a snap judgement) about your business.
But a website goes beyond the basics…
Obviously, your website needs to be well-designed, informative and user friendly to create the right impact. This way, the website allows you to create a brand for yourself and your company.
These days, on-line branding is a major tool for success and it can’t be ignored, if you want to achieve success.
Some people hear the words website, blog, SEO, social media and branding and they want to run away. I’ve mentioned in my previous posts that you have to work through your fears and conquer them. Business success requires constant learning, growth and expansion.
You can always hire someone to build your website, write your content and even do your SEO or SMM, but it has to be done. Rather find creative ways to getting the job done than simply not doing it at all. The benefits of having a website far outweigh the hassles (which are great learning opportunities!).
Do you have a website? How has it helped your business? If you have a website, please leave it in the appropriate field in the comment form, as I’d like to stop by and say hi.
